The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) requests customers to reduce their water use immediately, especially outdoor water use.

The Wylie Water Treatment Plant Complex had to cease producing water at one of its four water treatment plants unexpectedly on Saturday, July 16, to perform critical maintenance required to return the plant to full water purification capacity.

According to a July 16 news release, all regional customers are “strongly encouraged” to conserve water and reduce outdoor watering until further notice.

The call to action is because of water production quantity, not water quality, the release said, and water is safe to drink and use.

“This is a precautionary call to action, as NTMWD’s water purification capacity remains adequate for basic services including household use and for public safety,” the release said. “The ongoing regional drought coupled with increasing discretionary outdoor water use and irrigation has stressed the water purification and distribution systems.”

Critical maintenance is being completed at the plant to restore capacity.

According to the news release, the maintenance involves six sedimentation basins at the plant, which take particles out of the water during the treatment process.

The six basins help produce 210 million gallons of water per day. Because of peak water demands by customers, the accumulation of sediment has accelerated and impacted the plant’s ability to process water efficiently.

Crews are working around the clock to restore treatment capacity through these basins.

The week-long outlook by the National Weather Service Fort Worth/Dallas includes high temperatures with hot conditions and continuation of the current drought, emphasizing the importance of the calls for water conservation.